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Two doctors at
emergency dept
found ‘idling’
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Federal Territories
Minister Datuk M. Saravanan yesterday “caught”
two doctors at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL)
emergency department reading newspapers
and doing their own things instead of attending
to patients waiting for treatment.
He went to the hospital at 10.30am to visit a
university student who was knocked down by a
car driven by his (Saravanan’s) driver.
“I, too, had waited for a while for the girl
to be treated but, realising that none of the
patients were being called in by the doctors, I
opened the door to the treatment room.
“I was shocked to find one doctor reading
a newspaper and the other minding his own
business and doing his own stuff,” he said.
“There were more than 20 patients outside
waiting for treatment. This should not be the
way doctors work. The patient should come
first. Furthermore, it is an emergency unit, which
is supposed to be fast in dispensing treatment,”
a visibly irked Saravanan told Bernama.
He said he reprimanded the doctors for their
behaviour and demanded to see a superior
who, he said, appeared after 30 minutes. “After
that, those waiting were promptly treated. Why
couldn’t the doctors attend to the patients first?
This should not be the way service at govern-
ment hospitals is dispensed,” he said.
In response, HKL director Datuk Dr Zaininah
Mohd Zain said the hospital would get details
of the incident and if there was any element
of irresponsibility, it would be the first to take
the appropriate action. She said the hospital’s
investigation showed that there were only eight
patients and 20 relatives and that none of the
patients was in pain because “we practise
holistic pain care service and pain (is assessed)
as the fifth vital sign”.
“Our hardworking doctors are but human,”
she said, adding that browsing a newspaper
when there were no cases should not be inter-
preted as neglecting his responsibility.
“We do not condone lazy or irresponsible
doctors but (having) understanding, caring and
hardworking doctors is also our obligation,” she
said in a text message to Bernama.
Zaininah said the department managed 550
cases per day and was served by six medical
officers in every eight-hour shift (of three shifts
per day) with one specialist, one consultant and
one (supervising) senior consultant per day.
Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations (Malaysia)
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No. 4746 PP 2644/12/2009 (023092)
Monday
April 27, 2009
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of 20 confirmed cases of swine flu and will
Mexican flu
screen visitors arriving from infected coun-
tries, officials said.
The US Department of Health and Human
Services “will declare today (Sunday) a public
health emergency in the United States,” Home-
land Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.
Asian health officials, meanwhile, have
gone on alert and urged the public to be vigi-
lant yesterday.
Governments across the region, which has
alert
in recent years been at the forefront of the SARS
and bird flu epidemics, urged the public, and
HEALTH MINISTRY ACTS especially travellers, to be on guard for symp-
toms of the new multi-strain of swine fever.
TO PREVENT ENTRY “The public do not have to worry with the
situation going on in Mexico and America as
OF DEADLY STRAIN the authorities in the countries affected are
taking steps with the cooperation of the WHO
to control and eradicate the epidemic from
escaping the country,” said Ismail.
“Collaborative and cooperative efforts in
information sharing and prevention measures
are being undertaken by the Health Ministry
along with the WHO, and the public will be
informed from time to time,” he said and
urged the public to heed official advice.
“The public can find out more about epi-
demic by calling either 03-8881 0200 or 03-8881
0300. A website will also be set up this week.”
Cleansing In New Zealand, Health Minister Tony
ritual ... Ryall said yesterday 10 students who recently
A tourist travelled to Mexico are “likely” to have con-
wearing two tracted swine fever.
face masks In the first suspected swine flu case in the
receiving a Middle East, a 26-year-old Israeli man has
cleansing been hospitalised in Netanya on returning
during from Mexico, hospital officials told AFP.
prehispanic In Japan, airports tightened checks on
dances passengers arriving from Mexico, with quar-
devoted antine officials giving out face masks and
to the sun, using thermography imaging cameras to
moon, water screen for passengers with a fever.
and soul in Australia urged people who had recently
Mexico City. returned from Mexico and had developed flu-
like symptoms to seek medical advice.
South Korean health, agriculture and
foreign ministry officials held an emergency
meeting to discuss the issue, while in China,
the health ministry said it was “paying close
attention” to the situation.
PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry is » direct all medical practitioners to alert the China and Hongkong bore the brunt of the
taking immediate action to keep out the lethal nearest District Health Office if they have treat- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003
Mexican flu strain which has killed scores ed any case showing influenza-like symptoms that killed nearly 800 people, most of them in
of people, health director-general Tan Sri Dr or severe pneumonia with a history of visiting Asia. The same year, the H5N1 strain of bird
Mohd Ismail Merican said yesterday. Mexico, California or Texas after April 17; flu re-appeared in Asia.
“Based on the current situation as reported » monitor for swine flu symptoms at all entry It has since killed 257 people, according to
by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as points to the country for visitors or Malaysians WHO, and officials have long warned that the
well as recommendations made by them, the who had visited the three places after April 17; virus could become a global pandemic if it
Health Ministry will: and mutates into a form that is easily transmissible
» activate an operations room under the » issue media statements from time to time to between humans.
Department of Disease Control to monitor inform Malaysians of the actions being taken The WHO warned on Saturday that the
the situation of the swine flu epidemic in co- by the government. virus had the potential to become a pandemic,
operation with WHO to ensure that proactive The United States yesterday declared a labelling the current outbreak “a public health
measures are taken to protect Malaysians; public health emergency amid an outbreak emergency of international concern”.